Joseph Albert Benkert (born January 17, 1951) is an American naval officer and diplomat who served as an officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, and as an appointed official in the

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

Administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...

. He joined the

Cohen Group Cohen may refer to: Places *Cohen-kuhi Tau/4, a star 420 light-years away from Earth in the Taurus Constellation *The Cohen Building of ''The Judd School'' in Tonbridge, England People * Cohen (surname), a common Jewish surname Arts, entertainm ...

in 2009 after serving as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Security Affairs. Benkert currently serves on the board of International Relief and Development Inc. In October 2018, He joined

Morrison & Foerster Morrison & Foerster LLP (also known as MoFo) is an American multinational law firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, with 17 offices located throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. The firm has over 1,000 lawyers who advise cli ...

as a National Security Advisor. Benkert is notable for testifying before the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

Early life and education

Born in

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the prin ...

, Benkert graduated from Franklin County High School in 1969. He earned a B.S. degree from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1973 and later received a M.P.P. degree from the

Kennedy School The Kennedy School, originally the John D. Kennedy Elementary School, is a former elementary school that has been converted to a hotel, movie theater and dining establishment in northeast Portland, Oregon. The facility is operated by the McMenam ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1979.

Naval career

A career surface warfare officer, Benkert served on active duty from June 1973 to April 2003, retiring as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He commanded the frigate ''McCloy'' from August 1987 to July 1989, the cruiser ''Josephus Daniels'' from May 1992 to January 1994 and Destroyer Squadrons 22 and 32 from May 1996 to July 1997. Captain Joseph A. Benkert was named in the lawsuit David Alan Carmichael v. United States. Benkert was Carmichael's commanding officer, and, according to Carmichael's complaint, Benkert's subordinate suppressed written communications intended for Benkert. The failure of the Navy to properly process the religious accommodation request eventually led to the service member's dismissal without proper cause.

Forum participant evaluating Iraqi reconstruction

In March 2007 Benkert participated in a forum evaluating the problems that plagued American efforts to help reconstruct Iraq.

Congressional testimony on the use of gas

On September 27, 2006, while serving as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, Benkert testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support. Executive Order 11850, signed in 1975, proscribed the US from using chemical weapons. According to Benkert, it was the position of the Bush Presidency that

riot control agent Riot control measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest. If a riot is spontaneous and irration ...

s, like

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...

, should not be considered

chemical weapon A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as a ...

Congressional testimony on Guantanamo captives

In early May 2007 Benkert and two other officials testified before Congress that 30 released Guantanamo captives had returned to the battlefield.

Press releases

On May 9, 2007, Benkert was quoted on the future of the

Guantanamo detainees As of October 29, 2022, This list of Guantánamo prisoners has the known identities of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, but is compiled from various sources and is incomplete. In official documents, the United States Depart ...

: On April 11, 2007, Benkert was quoted commenting on a facility in southwestern Siberia to destroy American and former Soviet era nerve gas.

Personal life

Joseph Benkert is married to the former Gail DeVeuve, and together have two children Stephen and Suzanne.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benkert, Joseph A. 1951 births Living people People from Frankfort, Kentucky United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy officers Harvard Kennedy School alumni United States Assistant Secretaries of Defense People associated with Morrison & Foerster